𝐂𝐑𝐎𝐒𝐒𝐇𝐀𝐈𝐑𝐒.
chapter twenty-nine; Family Line
" We can't let the Governor hurt them, too. "

  VEX AND DARYL rode in silence, only slowing to a halt once seeing some of the military trucks the citizens of Woodbury had used to enter the prison.

  Vex noted the bodies littering the road, swiftly taking out any walkers that were gorging themselves on the dead.

  "He killed his own men," Vex mumbled, looking around.

  Daryl grunted, approaching the truck.

  Vex turned, looking at the slaughter around her. She couldn't fathom it. 

  But then something far more important caught her eye.

  "Are you fu--"

  Vex cut herself off at the sound from the truck behind Daryl, both herself and Rick raising their guns as Daryl opened the door with his knife in his hand.

  Vex eyed their pickup truck before returning her attention to the woman that climbed out of her vehicle.

  "What happened?"

  The woman blinked, her hands raised.

  "We didn't want to fight," She said, "He. . . killed everyone."

  Vex lowered her weapon, eyeing the woman.

  "Where's Andrea?"

  "She hopped the wall," The woman answered, "Thought she went to find you guys."

  Vex and Rick exchanged looks.

  "We're going," Rick said, "Come on."

  "Yeah, one second," Vex sighed, "We have a stowaway."

  Rick furrowed his brows as Vex walked around the pickup truck. A hushed argument took place, before Vex re-emerged with Zeppelin Williams.

  "What the hell?" Daryl said.

  "I wanted to help," Zeppelin defended, "There might be good people in that town, but you'd never know if you just--!"

  "Listen, we don't have time to argue about this," Vex said, "We need to get to Woodbury and find Andrea. Governor does this to his own men, I don't want to think about what he does to her."

  Everyone fell into a sobering silence.

  "I'm not leaving her alone, and I'm not leaving you all without a way to get back," Vex said, "So, unfortunately, her plan worked."

  "You're bringing a kid?" The woman from Woodbury spoke up.

  "Not a lot of choices in front of me," Vex said tiredly, "Can't stay here by herself, and without knowing what's waiting for us, I can't let these guys go in with one less gun."

  And, so, they went.

  Vex laid the rules out very plainly for all to hear on their hike to Woodbury.

  "You do not wander off. You are to stay on my heels at all times," Vex lectured evenly, "I'm talkin' grab a beltloop and hang on, girlfriend. You don't talk to anyone, you don't look at anyone, you don't even think about anyone you see here. If people start shooting, you do exactly what I say, without hesitation or questions. If we get separated, you go with Rick, Daryl, or Michonne, no one else. If they tell you to do something, you do it."

  Vex unholstered a pistol, pressing it into her daughter's palm.

  "You only use it as your last resort," Vex said strongly, "Got it?"

  "Got it."

  Vex let out a grumble as she walked through the thick forest.

  "And this move," Vex said, looking at her daughter, "Has broken our trust."

  Zeppelin didn't say anything in response, but it was clear to everyone in the group, as clear as it was to the woman who said it, that this devastated Zeppelin Williams.

  The group tightened their formation the closer they got to Woodbury, with Zeppelin in the very center, weapons at the ready as they approached the wall.

  And all at once there were bullets flying.

  The group took cover behind a smashed-up car, firing back at those on the wall quickly.

  The gunfire lasted mere moments before it halted and Karen stood with her arms raised.

  "Tyreese! It's me, don't shoot--"

  Rick pulled the woman back down quickly, but after a moment a voice called out.

  "Karen! Karen are you okay?!"

  "I'm fine!" Karen called back, standing again.

  "Where's the Governor?"

  "He fired on everyone," Karen said, "He killed them all."

  "Why are you with them?"

  "They saved me."

  It only took a moment for Rick to speak.

  "We're comin' out!"

  Vex looked at the man with wide eyes, but he holstered his gun and stood with his hands raised in surrender. She looked to Daryl, who seemed just as frustrated with the choice, standing with his gun raised before lowering it.

  Vex grumbled, before nodding to Zeppelin.

  The group approached the gate and it swung open after a moment.

  Tyreese looked at them for a moment, before his eyes landed on Zeppelin.

  "I was shootin' at a kid."

  "I saved you," Zeppelin responded to his own revelation, "At the prison, you and. . ."

  "What are you doing here?" Tyreese questioned.

  "Well, I snuck--"

  "Rules, Zeppelin," Vex said tightly, nudging her daughter.

  Zeppelin mumbled an apology, but it earned the ghost of a smile from Tyreese.

  "We were coming to finish this," Rick spoke up, "Until we saw what the Governor did."

  "He-- he killed them?"

  "Yeah," Rick informed quietly, "Karen told us Andrea hopped the wall going for the prison. She never made it. She might be here."

  It was very clear Tyreese was unaware of who the Governor truly was. The group headed to where Glenn and Maggie were held, informing Tyreese as such, the man shocked at the news.

  They approached a door, faltering when they saw a pool of blood from underneath.

  Ther group raised their weapons, Rick counting before pushing the door open.

  The body of Milton Mamet awaited them, Vex faltering before seeing feet poking out from beside the door.

  "Andrea."

  Michonne rushed to the woman's side, the rest of the group following in.

  "I tried to stop them," Andrea mumbled.

  "You're burning up," Michonne noted.

  Andrea peeled back her shirt, revealing a bite atop her collarbone.

  "Judith, Carl. . . the rest of them."

  "Us," Rick corrected, "The rest of us."

  "Are they alive?"

  "Yeah, they're alive."

  Andrea breathed out a smile, looking at the group in the doorway. Her smile softened when she met Zeppelin's teary eyes.

  "It's good you found them," Andrea told Michonne, "No one can make it alone now."

  Much to Vex's surprise, it was Daryl who spoke up.

  "I never could."

  And much to Daryl's surprise, Vex reached out and squeezed his hand.

  "I just didn't want anyone to die," Andrea said slowly, "I can do it myself."

  "No."

  "Oh, I have to," Andrea told Michonne, "While I still can. . . Please? . . . I know how the safety works."

  It was silent for a moment before Rick passed the woman his own gun. 

  Michonne stayed with her, refusing to leave until she was gone.

  Rick departed, his own tears present, followed by Daryl. Vex moved to leave, feeling as though she'd never been close enough with Andrea to share a sorrowful goodbye, but Zeppelin slipped away from her side.

  The girl hugged Andrea tightly, the blonde hugging back after a moment.

  "Say 'hi' to Dale for me, will ya?" Zeppelin's voice wavered, "Read all his best books, so you can tell me 'bout them when I see you again."

  Andrea felt a lump form in her throat, nodding silently.

  Zeppelin smiled despite the tears running down her cheeks, hugging Andrea once more before returning to her mother and grabbing her hand.

  Vex nodded to Andrea once, the blonde doing the same, before she and Zeppelin joined the group outside the door.

  Vex held Zeppelin close, while Daryl rested a hand on the woman's back.

  They were silent until the sound of a gunshot cut through it all.

  "There are good people here, Mom, I know it," Zeppelin whispered, sniffling, "We can't let the Governor hurt them, too."

  Vex looked to Tyreese.

  "We won't, baby," Vex said quietly.

  Michonne emerged after a long couple of moments, and the group set off.

  It turned out Tyreese's sister, Sasha, had been with those who couldn't fight. The elderly, the children-- it took them a matter of moments to explain the situation and for everyone to agree to it.

  Tyreese told Vex there was a bus they could use to transport everyone, and informed her where to find both it and the keys.

  "Come on," Vex nodded to Zeppelin, "We'll meet you guys out there."

  "I'm comin' with you."

  "Stay here, we'll be back in a minute," Vex denied, sighing when she saw his expression, "If I'm not back in five minutes, then you can come looking."

  He didn't seem pleased with the answer, but he accepted it.

  They made their way through the empty streets quickly, Vex following the instructions Tyreese had repeated.

  Vex lead, her daughter on her heels, her gun raised; the bus was on the other side of the town, of course, it was, but with most of the town gunned down it was easy to find.

  The woman breathed out, her lips tugging up as she spotted the vehicle.

  She started toward it, Zeppelin in tow, halted only by a single man exiting a building.

  He whistled as he shoved his hands into his pockets, tilting his head in greeting, approaching the woman slowly.

  "You didn't think he'd leave the place unattended, did you?" Paul grinned, tutting, "Sorry about your friend, by the way. But, you know, collateral damage and all that. . ."

  Paul sighed deeply, blowing out a breath.

  "Now, look, we both know how this ends, so. . . let's just make it easy."

  Vex reached a hand out, pushing Zeppelin behind her.

  "Come on," Paul laughed, "Veronica, you survived this attack, you won't survive the next one. It's time to come home."

  Vex looked around anxiously-- there was no hidden escape, no backup on the way. She had to face him head-on, she had to hold up her end of the bargain-- Dean wasn't her to make sure it happened.

  It was all on her.

  "I want my girls back. Both of you."

  Paul leaned, grinning at the glimpse of Zeppelin.

  "Come on, Zep," He taunted, "Did your mom even tell you she found me? She's known I was here for weeks--"

  "Don't even look at her," Vex said, raising her gun, "We don't want anything to do with you, Paul, we're leaving."

  "I don't think that's going to happen, Veronica."

  Fuck, she hated her name. Hated that he knew it, and said it, over and over again. Hated that he knew it was a dull knife dragging down her skin, ripping it open to revisit her life before.

  "You gonna shoot me?" He asked, taking a step forward.

  Vex's hands shook.

  Paul saw this.

  He smiled, lifting a hand, and grabbing the barrel of her gun. He lowered it, shaking his head.

  Zeppelin Williams had never seen her mother anything but strong.

This was truly, gut-wrenchingingly, terrifying.

  "I am not going to let you take it all away again," Vex said, "I am not going to let you hurt me, or my daughter—"

  "Our daughter—"

  "You have no right," Vex seethed, "She has people who have done more for her in a year than you ever did!"

  Paul's anger stilled, concentrated rage pushing through his shaking fists. He moved quickly, ripping the rifle from her hands, and tossing it off to the side quickly as he spoke.

  "Who? Some guy you're fucking—"

  "No," Vex cut off, "Just a person who picked up the responsibility you dropped off. He is twice the man you think you are, and someone deserving of being in Zeppelin's life."

    "She deserved every fucking thing I gave—"

  "I might have," Vex cut him off, tilting her chin up, "I might have deserved every word, every punch— I might have deserved every second of our marriage. . . but Zeppelin is a kid. A kid who should've grown up without walking on eggshells, who should have had a father who picked her up when she was down, instead of keeping her there."

  "You are nothing without me," Paul spat, "You're a shell, a murderer, abandoned by her father, by her brother; you'll make my daughter just as sick as you if I don't save her—"

  "I am her mother, before anything else," Vex stated, her normal composure returning, "Leave, Paul. We don't want you here."

  Zeppelin, whose vision was fogged with tears, heard approaching footsteps. She turned her head, her heart speeding up as she spotted Daryl Dixon rushing toward them.

  The girl hardly thought as she took off, colliding into Daryl, wrapping her arms around him tightly, burying her face and tears in his chest.

  Daryl held the girl tightly, looking at Vex.

  "Get your hands off my daughter, you—"

  Vex placed a hand on Paul's chest.

  "He's never hurt her," Vex said, "Not like you did."

  Paul moved in an instant, twisting Vex's wrist before grabbing a fistful of her hair.

  Daryl stood, pushing Zeppelin behind him as he lifted his crossbow.

  "You take your hands off her—!"

  Vex whimpered at the stinging of her scalp, Paul pulling her up so her body was fully covering his, positioning a knife at her throat.

  In any other world, if this were anyone else, Vex would be out in an instant. She'd have already knocked the guy on his ass.

  But this was Paul, and suddenly she wasn't Vex Williams.

  She was Veronica. Thirteen years old, forgotten until he found her.

  "Never thought you'd stoop so low," Paul spat, "Fuckin' some hillbilly, letting him be that close to Zep—"

  "Let her go."

  Paul looked up, only laughing at Daryl's cold expression and the crossbow aimed at him.

  The man tightened his grip on her.

  "You know what, you keep that little brat," Paul said, "But I'm keeping my wife."

  "No—"

  "Paul--"

  Vex felt panic and fear engulfing her body as Paul began to step backward, her eyes on Daryl who seemed to be contemplating his options currently.

  "Mom!"

  Vex let out a sob as she moved quickly, hands shaking, tears streaming. She slipped out of Paul's grasp, the man's blade dragging deep against her cheek as she did.

  The woman winced at the cut, knowing it was deep enough for concern, but focusing solely on the act of unholstering her pistol.

  Except there wasn't a pistol, because she'd given it to Zeppelin.

  Paul grinned as the realization washed over her expression.

  But for, perhaps, the first time in her entire life, Vex Williams wasn't terrified. Scared, panicked, horrified, yes.

  But she could breathe. She could move.

  So when Paul lunged, Vex could dodge it. She heard Daryl approach quickly, just as Paul raised a fist, Vex felt Daryl right behind her, ready to join her side.

  But then Paul stopped.

  The gunshot rang out, as Paul pressed a hand to his stomach, lifting it to inspect the blood soaking his palm.

  "Zeppelin!"

  Vex spun, her own shock clear as Daryl caught Zeppelin, a moment too late, the smoking gun in her hands proving the fact.

  Vex turned back to Paul, the man lowering himself to the ground, his eyes wide.

  She felt herself crying. She wasn't sure if she was sad or not. If she was relieved he was dead or if she'd mourn him. Vex wasn't sure if she was happy he'd be out of her life forever, or horrified her own daughter had to kill him because she couldn't.

  The woman fell to her knees beside him, her own wound shooting pain as she stared at the gunshot through his abdomen.

"Congratulations," He whispered, "You made her a murderer, too."